


Your Eyes

by PhantomStutter



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Cute Kids, Established Relationship, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Father-Stepsons, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 18:06:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15297075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomStutter/pseuds/PhantomStutter
Summary: Piccolo's edge has softened over the years. His will wasn't as strong as he thought it was.





	Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> A very short one shot. I use to write Chiccolo fan-fiction yeaaarrrs and years ago. I might be a bit rusty, getting back into the game, but I hope this is a nice little story to start out with. Gosh I miss writing.

Piccolo felt the energy of the forest pulse from within. Surge into the tips of fingers and the balls of his feet. From the light sway the branches moved with the push from a light breeze. The flutter of every wing of tiny songbirds and graceful dragonflies. And, of course, from the water that pummeled into the stream below with as much grace and feriousity as he.

He...was at peace. 

For a mere second, away from the chaos of the household, he felt a calm. Where he could find his center and his thoughts. Away from the cacophony that was his life right now. Imagining a life before. A brief, but relatively relaxing time.

“Papaaaa!”

But, as he anticipated, it was a short feeling to be had.

Another small and shrill scream assaulted his eardrums. But this time louder with more force and emphasis, “PAAAPAAA!!”

Piccolo growled low in his throat. Careful to keep his voice calm, “Goten. Remember what I said about shouting.”

He peaked an eye open. Down in front of him was little Goten. Face beat red and nose scrunched up. Making his cheeks looks puffy as the toddler tried his best to show his angriest face. He stood defiantly before Piccolo. Arms crossed tightly across his chest; much how Piccolo stood to intimidate basically anyone who didn’t know him well enough.

Goten seemed to huff at Piccolo’s remark but lowered his voice anyway. “Papa. I bored.” 

Piccolo resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, “You wanted to join me on my meditation today, Goten.”

Goten’s face softened into a pout. Lowering his arms to swing them around his body. Eyes casted away, “Well…..I wanna….but it’s too long….”

Right. That short attention span of his. He knew….more or less, that human children could hardly keep still for more than five minutes. Filled to the brim with unbridled energy that it could hardly be contained by play alone. He could assume that being half Saiyan only increased that problem. 

But, under Chi-Chi’s explicit orders, Goten could not be trained even the slightest bit until he was at least eight. And even then, nothing to the extent that he put Gohan through when he was about the same age. At barely of the age of three, the boy was far from the age where he needed him to be to show him any skill.

“You were given the chance to go shopping with your mother and Gohan.” Piccolo told him simply.

“But I wanted to go with you!” Goten’s wide, large eyes only softened Piccolo’s stern glare. Much like his older brother, Goten had taken to his stepfather like a bird to air. Often trying to imitate and follow the Namekian’s every step. 

Piccolo, knowing that meditation would not be possible, gave up on that venture. With a heavy sigh, he asked the child, “What is it that you would want to do?” 

The boy’s face brightened as a smile stretched from ear to ear, “I wanna swim!” He jumped up and down as he pointed at the lake where the river fell into. Piccolo wrinkled his nose at the water that slowly lapped at the rocky shore. 

He would prefer almost anything else than that.

“You do not have your swim clothes, Goten. Your mother would not be pleased with me if I let you swim in your clothes.” It wasn’t completely true. Over the years, Chi-Chi had learned to...loosen up over a few things that are, in fact, not a big deal. Was it the fact she just learned to calm down or was it that having Piccolo help around the house? It didn’t really matter. But by the look on Goten’s face, it seemed like the toddler didn’t really believe him.

“Mommy won’t...uh...care!” He leaned on Piccolo’s knee, “Cause one time! Me and Gohan went swimming! And we forgot our trunks! But Mommy didn’t care!”

That backfired in his face quicker than he expected.

Trying to keep his face from flushing with embarrassment, he quickly came up with another excuse. “You are too young to play in the water alone.”

Goten’s face fell and in that instant his heart felt like it was crushed into pieces. He could sense tears beginning to come from the boy’s eyes and saw his mouth start to shape into another pout. Hastily, he replied, “But I will accompany you into the lake. To keep you safe.”

With a cheer, Goten started to run for the lake. Dragging a hand down his face, Piccolo wondered when he became so soft.  
\----

Gohan placed the last bag of groceries onto the table. Wiping the last bead of sweat from his face. “Wow Mom! Really had a large haul today, huh?”

Chi-Chi gave him a knowing smirk, “You boys usually eat more than an elephant’s worth, I swear. This is nothing new.” She began rummaging through the bags. Preparing to put all of the groceries in piles according where in the kitchen they would go.

Nervously rubbing the back of his neck, Gohan gave a small laugh, “Oh. I, uh, forgot we eat… a whole lot, huh?”

Piccolo would normally go and help Chi-Chi bring the groceries home. Leaving Gohan to either watch his brother, study, or train on his own. He felt bashful forgetting that he ate twice of Piccolo’s weight in food everyday. It was...embarrassing and he started to feel guilty. Food was expensive and it took an entire day from his mother’s time to get it all for them.

Whether it was from the look on his face of just mother’s intuition, Chi-Chi tutted him and placed a hand on her son’s arm, “Don’t you worry sweetheart. You and your brother are growing boys. You need all of this to keep your mind and body strong. And Piccolo does wonders to help pay for all of it.” She turned to her shopping, “And you help with the house a lot. So don’t you start eating less or something stupid like that. I won’t have it.”

The stern tone in her voice gave Gohan a small smile. She was right. She usually was. He didn’t have to worry as much as he use to. Like when his...dad...wasn’t around. It was a bitter feeling. Not having to be the sole person to keep his mother, or the house, together. 

It was a good thing, though, that Piccolo stuck through it all. Couldn’t have picked a better person to match her mother’s brash and motherly personality. It was….sort of an ordeal but, by how much more his mom smiles or hums to herself, he could tell that she is much better off.

Gohan shook his head, snapping back into reality. Blinking, he walked over to a neat pile of stacked cans and reached to help put them away only for Chi-Chi to slap it away. The teen snatched his hand to his chest, eyes wide as he snapped his head towards his mom. She shook her head and shooed him away before getting back to her task.

Getting the picture, he slowly stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Off to do a paper in his room.

Chi-Chi snickered to herself as she set to fill her pantry back to its full glory. Having done this for so many years, the time passed with ease. Hands quickly filling her arms with food and storing them in their little homes. (That’s what she liked to call the cupboard if only to herself.) So immersed in her work, she hardly realized that she only had a small pile left to put away. All meats from the butcher. 

Her hands stopped when she heard the front door open and loud chattering from her youngest son filled the house. A small smile was placed on her face as she rushed to stuff the food in the fridge before walking out into the living room. Wiping her damp hands on her apron. 

Looking up, she was greeted with a...charming sight. 

Piccolo, with his turban and shoulder weights missing, stood blank faced with Goten talking wildly in his arms. Arms waving radically while inchorrent babble spewed from his lips. All the while Piccolo quietly just nodded or hummed. Her smile faltered when she noticed that Goten’s clothes were different from what she dressed him that morning. And on further exception, Piccolo’s gi looked a tad bit damp. 

“My my.” Chi-Chi spoke up. Halting Goten’s story. “There’s my boys! What were you two off doing today?” There was cheer in her voice and even a hint of amusement as Piccolo looked away with crismion on his cheeks.

Goten leaned in Piccolo’s arms down towards his mother. Grabbing for her embrace with a classic Goku smile. “We went swimmin!!” He shouted enthusiastically. 

“Oh?” Chi-Chi’s eyes moved to Piccolo’s dangerously as she gently took Goten from him. “Did you now? By yourself?”

The toddler shook his head, “Nuh uh. Papa went in and played wif me! And...and then he got me new clothes so I wouldn’t uh....” He scrunched up his nose in deep concentration. Grasping for the sentence he was looking for. “Oh! So I no drip water in the house!”

Chi-Chi kept her surprise only to her eyes. “Did Papa do that? That’s very nice of him, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t like her husband didn’t like spending time with the boys. Very contradictory. He spent most of his time caring and dotting on the boys. Even if it was in...his own way. He was still growing over his stupid loner complex and bravado but…. No. He was doing well. And thinking that he wasn’t, or couldn’t, be able to do so would be...another step backwards on her part.

Goten nodded, looking up at Piccolo and giving him a big smile. Piccolo, tentivally, gave a small smile back. Ruffling the kid’s hair. Chi-Chi smiled up at him too, almost without the man noticing. 

“You still need a bath before dinner though, Goten.” Piccolo said quietly.

She was expecting a pout or screaming or any other thing that Goten was one to do when it came to bath time. But he just dejectedly said, “Okay.” He looked up to his mother real quick, “Can I go tell Big Brother though?”

“Sure Baby.” She kissed his cheeks multiple times, earning giggles and squirms, before she allowed him to set foot on the floor. And once his feet touched the ground, he dashed for Gohan’s room like the rocket he was.

Chi-Chi’s smile widened as she looked up at her husband and rested her hands on his waist. Even with an arms length away, she still has to strain his neck to look him in the eye.”How’d you get him agree to take a bath? Last time I tried I had to threaten no dessert.”

Piccolo placed his hands on her arms gently. Affectionately stroking her soft skin, “Reasoned with him.”

She snorted, “You reasoned? With a three year old? You have trouble telling him he can’t eat his toys.”

He nodded, giving her a toothy grin. “Your just jealous I’m the first to show him reality.” 

Chi-Chi attempted to give him a ruthless glare but her mouth strained a smirk. “Well…” She tilted her head, “How’d he convince you to go swimming? Thought it was just ‘You’ time?”

As a blush ran over the Namekian’s face, Chi-Chi grinned. Knowing full well that she got him back from that little jab. He cleared his throat nervously. Although she wasn’t expecting an answer, she got on all the same.

“He has your eyes.” Her heart skipped a beat. “And I can’t really resist...the look…”

His eyes met hers and she felt just like when she realized she...felt something for him nearly three years ago. The flurry in her stomach and the loss of breath from her lungs. Once repressed but now...so honestly expressed.

Piccolo stared down at her with the same look of...adoration, albeit softened from his constant need for appearance ingrained into him since hatching. It was there all the same, though. His hand went to brush against her cheek. His thumb lightly caressing her face. With her hand, she squeezed the other. Tightly. 

Quietly, with just enough volume for him to hear, she asked, “Would you help with dinner?”

He didn’t need to respond to know that he would.


End file.
